Thursday, January 8, 2009

Ever heard of tilt-shift photography? By carefully manipulating a camera with special (often expensive) lenses, it's possible to produce a photograph of a life-sized location or subject that looks remarkably like a miniature-scale model. The results of the technique are engrossing and are useful for creating compelling images. Thanks to the TiltShiftMaker site, students can generate their own tilt-shift pictures without spending a dime!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I've been playing Planarity (devised by the ever clever John Tantolo) for years now. Planarity is a supremely addictive game/pastime that's based on planars and graph theory. Give it a try. Hours will disappear! In fact, I find it hard not to want to play Planarity because the game is so darned engaging. After playing the game I find myself thinking about what I should have done but didn’t do. What is it about certain games (like Snood, Sudoku and Tetris for instance) that generate a continual desire within us to play them over and over again? If only we could capture the thrill and satisfaction that games and enjoyable diversions provide and infuse the same qualities within other, more educational pursuits, our students would create a stampede to learn. Heck, we could use games with a purpose to make the world a much better place.

encourage frequent, important decision-making in relation to the game,

making provisions for leveling up (providing immediate feedback that tells players when they're getting better at the game–not,for example, unlike good assessment), and

allow users to embrace technology.

Why aren’t schools doing more to incorporate Prensky’s ideas within classroom settings? I wonder what might happen if we designed instruction so that is learning emotionally engaging, relevant, and possibly fun. Fulfillment and education are not mutually exclusive pursuits. Technology gives educators the means of making travel along the path to enlightenment a pleasurable, meaningful journey.

About Me

Me? I'm just an ordinary guy trying to make the world a better place for children, my friends, and the people I love. I’m willing to share what little I know with anyone. I've presented at GAETC, NECC, and other, related gatherings. I'm passionate about my desire to help anyone of any age enjoy the pleasure of learning. I'm determined to do whatever I can to help administrators, teachers, students, parents, and communities as they try to gain a better understanding of how technology resources and tools can improving their ability to learn. If you think I can help you, please contact me.